The fourth annual May 4th movie event brought out some of the biggest Star Wars fans in the city despite all the rain the days before.
Fans got to take pictures with Star Wars props and take part in the Wookiee Walk, in which attendees dress up in their favorite Star Wars costumes and walk around the lake. After the walk, there were costume contests for adults and children, a Chewbacca call contest, and a Star Wars-themed yoga demonstration by faculty Teri Dimas. Fans also got to take selfies, play video games, visit with vendors and food trucks.
Prior to the event, members of the Northwest Vista College Public Relations team and student volunteers took part in the annual Cornyval Parade in Old Town Helotes. This was the first time NVC had a presence in the parade that attracts thousands of attendees. The purpose of NVC going was to promote the May 4th event on campus and promote the college. It was also helpful that the Cornyval’s theme was Star Wars.
This is also the first year Northwest Vista College partnered with the Wookiee Walk that has been previously held downtown. The partnership helped to bring new people to the campus and also the media. A KENS 5 reporter did a live shot in the back of a golf cart while the parade was behind her, MySA.com did a photo collage on its website, and its sister publication, Chron.com (of the Houston Chronicle) also showcased the same photo collage on its website. The exposure amounted to about $23,000 in free media exposure and had a digital reach of over 20 million people, according to Cision, a media news service.
A few of the attendees commented on the Facebook event page:
“It was a beautiful night! Thank you for organizing this event. My son loved it!
“Thanks for the memories.”
Paul Vallejo, coordinator of the event, said this year’s event added a new element with the Wookiee Walk, and each year the NVC Public Relations team always tries to find new ways to lure the overall community to Northwest Vista.
“The media exposure gained was priceless and we wouldn’t have been able to continually host these events without the support of campus leadership and the many volunteers who give up their nights or weekends to come have fun with us.” Paul said.
